This patent relates to a gaming apparatus for playing games. Conventional gaming units are typically provided with a cabinet and a gaming display mounted inside the cabinet. The gaming display may be mechanical, such as a series of stepper wheels, or may be electronic such as a video display that is capable of generating video images. Whether mechanical or electronic, the gaming display may be capable of generating images associated with a game, such as poker, blackjack, slots, keno, or bingo.
Traditional gaming units have either been focused on a single game or allow a player to select one of several games and then play that single game. Slot games allow a player to choose one or more paylines and spin a plurality of reels in the hopes that a winning combination of symbols on the stopped reels will appear on one or more of the paylines that were purchased. A payoff to the player depends on the specific symbols that occur on the purchased payline with more rare symbols resulting in higher payouts than more common symbols. Strategy in slot machines is limited as, the player can only select the machine to be played, the paylines to be played and the amount to play on each payline.
Games which permit the player to believe that strategy could potentially increase the winning amount may be better at holding a players attention for a longer period of time. In addition, games that allow a player to progress to a higher payoff may make the game more interesting to the player.